Frayed Rope
Intro Katrina Stark has had it up to here with life. She's not suicidal, she just wants to escape. Her dad doesn't care about her, the bullying at school is getting worse, and she's torn between her boyfriend and another boy, and her only escape from reality is her best friend, and her little sister, Kelsey. When things take yet another turn for the worse, with the help of her best friend Addison, some new friends she's made along the way, Katrina tries to turn her life around, gets a job as the coeditor for the lit mag, makes new friends and, maybe get that boy she's always dreamed of having for herself. Characters Katrina Stark- The main protagonist, who leads an incredibly troubled life. She is frequently bullied, and was the product of a teenage pregnancy. She has a boyfriend, who she thinks is unfaithful. She also has a crush on a boy. Her little sister Kelsey, and her best friend Addison, are her only escapes from reality. She lives in a crappy apartment, (circa 1956), and has very little money. She has to work a day job on the weekends, and after school, on Tuesday and Thursday. Addison Mahoney- Addison is Katrina's best friend, and leads a life completely the opposite to Katrina's. She has a large house, and is very rich and happy with her life. She has a boyfriend, and loves sweets. She is an only child, and her parents are still together. Clayton "Clay" Avril- Clayton is the boy Katrina has a crush on. He is attractive and smart. He lives with his mum, as his parents seperated when he was young. He enjoys school, and is very sweet and lives a very good life. He secretly has a crush on Katrina, even though she thinks he's not even remotely interested in her. Chester Colson- The head editor of the lit mag, and the richest kid in town. He doesn't dress or act like a rich kid though. He wears what he wants, and is very open with the world, and that is why nobody teases him about being homosexual. Shane Cadderbourogh- Katrina's boyfriend, who is cheating on her. He has a bit of a badboy reputation, and doesn't do very well in school. Katrina doesn't truly love him though, and he doesn't truly love her, hence the cheating on her. Kayden Auerbacher- One of the people who bullies Katrina frequently. He is rich and popular, but rude and egotistical. He is part of the popular crowd, and eventually takes his bullying a bit to far. Not just with Katrina, but with other people too. Lola Chrestomance- Another bully. This is Katrina's main bully, and also bullies other people too. She is incredibly rude and mean, more so than Kayden. She takes most of her classes with Katrina, making more openings for personal attacks. Briella Taylor- A potential friend for Katrina, also on the lit mag. She is bullied by Lola and Kayden, as well as other people. She tries to make friends, and has a great personality, but nobody seems to notice her except bullies. Kelsey Stark- Kelsey is Katrina's 8 year old sister. She gets by in life without much trouble, despite being malnourished, and having a father who is only sober when he is at work. Kelsey is one of Katrina's only escapes from reality, as Kelsey still has her head in the clouds. Jamie Stark- Jamie is Katrina and Kelsey's dad. He is an alchoholic, and has to work restocking shelves at a grocery store for minimum pay. He doesn't enjoy children, and doesn't cook, leaving Katrina to cook for Kelsey. He also only shops once a month, to save money, he claims. Leona Mahoney- Addison's mother, a very sweet woman. She owns a bakery, and also does home cooking for customers in their town. She is a single mom, but is dating. She is very friendly with Katrina, as Katrina pretty much lives at her house, and she loves having Kelsey over, because she loves to help her bake. Chapter One Clayton Avril started talking to me. Clayton is the sweetest, hottest and most amazing person in school. When he started talking to me, it was shocking. Nobody talks to outcasts. Especially one's with boyfriends. Shane Cadderbourough always has to come up to me when Clayton is talking to me. I really like Clayton, but I don't want to break up with Shane. He's been protecting me from Kayden and Lola. I really dislike them. "Hey babe." Shane says. "What's up?" "Nothing much, have to go pick up Kelsey." I tell him. He gives me a kiss on the cheek, and I walk away from him. I don't actually like him as a boyfriend. When I walk outside, I walk across the grass to dad's red convertible. Before I can get the the road, I fall over. "WatchoutI'mgoingtojumponyou!" Addison yells really fast, and throws herself onto me. "Addison. What the hell was that?" I laugh. "I have no idea. I just felt like jumping on you." "Great reason!" I say sarcastically. "I know, hey?" Addison smiles. "Want to come pick up Kelsey with me?" I ask. "Why not?" Addison hops in dad's car. I get in the driver's seat, and drive to the elementary school. Kelsey is there waiting for me with her friend, Melanie. Kelsey goes over to her house frequently. "Hi Katrina! Can I go over to Melanie's today? Her mom said she was allowed to have a friend over this weekend. Please?" Kelsey does her famous puppy eyes. "Fine, I'll tell dad." I give in to her big blue eyes. "Yes!" Kelsey does a little fist pump and hugs Melanie. "Here, both of you hop in, I'll drive you. I'll come about 15 minutes after with your stuff Kels, m'kay?" I say. "Okay. Come on Melanie!" Kelsey runs to the car, pulling Melanie behind her. I drive to Eliana (Melanie's mom's) house, and drop both girls off. "I'll be here in aout 15 minutes!" I call to her. I drive off with Addison, to my crappy apartment. "Come in." I open the creaky door for Addison. "Come on." I say, and drag her to Kelsey's room. "Pajamas, clothes. That's all we own." I sigh. I throw it into a shopping bag, and run down to the car again with Addison. I drive back to Melanie's and, knock on the door before walking inside with Addison. "Hi Katrina!" Kelsey says. "I brought your clothes." I thrust the bag into her arms, and give her a big hug. "See you Mrs. Christensen." Addison calls to Eliana. I know Eliana better than Addsion, so I call her by her first name, rather than Mrs. Christensen. "Let's go to my house." Addison suggests. "Sure." I answer. I drive to Addison and Leona's house, and get out of the car. Their house is large and modern, a huge window on the side. "Hi Leona!" I call. "Hey girls!" Leona says, I can see her rolling cinnoman buns. "I made cookies, they're on the table." Leona says, pointing to a batch of chocolate chip cookies creating the best aroma there is. We each take three, and we go up to Addison's room. Addison has a palace compared to my squalid mattress. That's what I sleep on. A mattress next to Kelsey's mattress. We have a dresser, and a crappy bathroom, with a crappy shower. It looks like something from the 1950's, and apparently it is. The lady who lives below us has lived here her whole life, and she's about 10 years older than my dad. Dad also has to work a job quite similar to mine. He's a cashier at the local grocery store, and I work a window at the Drive-Thru at McDonald's. "Roran is bugging me again." Addison flops on her bed. "What'd he do?'' I ask. "He just keeps asking me to get back together, and I keep saying no! I honestly don't understand how he doesn't know what he did." Addison is starting to sound angry, and the last time she got angry, let's just say, I had a makeshift arm brace for half the year. "Let's change the subject. Remember my dad's to lazy to get proper medical care." I laugh. Addison smiles. Addison turns on her TV, and flips it to The Simpson's. For about two hours, we watch TV and talk, and then Leona says she got a call from my dad. "He's wondering where you are hun." She says. "Okay. I guess I'll see you soon." I say, and reluctantly go home to dad. I get in the convertible, and drive across the street. I walk up the stairs to our apartment out of the three. We live on the one in the middle. The bottom is an old lady who owns the place, and the top is some hypersexual teenagers who go to my school. It's not very pleasant to sleep below them at night. Kelsey always asks why she hears slamming on the ceiling. 'The people above us are just banging on the floor." I always answer. Little to her knowledge, that has a double meaning. She's unaware of the second one. "Hi Dad." I say. No reply. Just the usual sound of a beer bottle clanking on the ground. I throw my backpack on the ground. "Oh. Hi Kat." He says.